Cupid's Arrow
by nyxargo
Summary: This story takes place between the two Guardians of the Galaxy movies. Kira is a genetically engineered cat-girl who sees Yondu as her ticket out of a horrible life. Their relationship may turn into far more than either of them bargained for! (feedback would be much appreciated!)
1. Chapter 1

Kira stared blankly into the mirror. Her reflection looked back - a slender, genetically engineered cat-girl with snow white hair and furry, catlike ears. Aqua, almost glowing eyes met her gaze in a flawless face. But Kira didn't feel flawless. She felt rough and ragged, and so very tired.

"Wake up, babe!" said another scantily clad cat-girl as she passed by. "It's almost your shift. And you know what happens when we're late."

The woman pointed at the thin silver choker around her neck. It wasn't a fasion accessory, but a slave collar that would deliver a nasty shock any time its wearer misbehaved.

Kira sighed and stood up. "Yeah, I know." She scratched her neck above her own collar, then headed to the stage door.

The moment she pulled it open, she was blasted with the usual bass-heavy melody, dominated by electric instruments. The crowed cheered, eager to see a new face… and body. There were two other cat-girls dancing on stage already, and one of them had pulled her top off and was throwing it into the throng of people.

Kira shut her eyes. She'd done this so many times, for so many years, that her feet and body knew what to do. The strobe and neon lights washed over her as the music took control. She danced, her long, white tail swinging back and forth, but her mind was far away. Hours passed, though time had no meaning to her when she was in her trance.

"Kira," a voice said close to her ear as an arm wrapped around her waist. It was one of the other dancers.

She heard the crowd roar. They loved to see girl-on-girl action.

"Hmm?" Kira said, not bothering to open her eyes.

"Something's goin' down," the other woman said quickly into her ear. The urgency in her voice sent Kira's eyes flying open. She gave Kira a playful slap on the butt before dancing away again.

Kira kept moving in time to the music as she scanned the club. There was a definite sense of tension in the air. The guards at the doors were looking out the thin slits of the windows, guns held ready in their hands.

Kira was owned by a very exclusive club, called "The Cat's Paw." They catered to only the richest patrons, and had topnotch security. They genetically engineered their "cat-girls" from birth, and taught them to perform exotic dances. Every woman here was well versed in the arts of pleasure. Any disobedience, however, resulted in an excruciatingly painful shock by the slave collars, and possibly death.

The music stopped abruptly, sending gasps and confused murmurs through the crowd. The other two dancers huddled close together, but Kira stood apart, watching intently. A guard came to stand on stage with them, clearly protecting the club's "assets".

A voice came over the intercom: "Ladies and Gentlemen, please take your seats and wait patiently. We're experiencing some technical diffi-" The voice cut off with a loud popping sound.

The front doors burst open with a loud bang, and something that glowed red zipped through the air, hitting each of the guards in the chest and knocking them to the floor. Kira strained to see what was going on.

"Everybody on the ground!" Said a harsh voice from the back of the club. Kira saw a man standing there with blue skin and a glowing red ridge on his head. He was holding something in his hand, and was surrounded by a group of other men.

"Ravagers," gasped one of the cat-girls.

Kira had heard of them. They were a large band of raiders, bandits, and bounty hunters. But what were they doing in a place like this?

"You!" shouted the blue man, pointing at the guard on stage, presumably the only one left that hadn't been hit by the flying red thing. "Call out yer boss."

The guard looked around nervously, then touched a button on his earpiece. Kira was close enough to hear him say, "Tell Iru we've got a big problem."

A moment later, a back door slid open and the club's owner stepped out, dressed in a black tailored suit. Kira had only seen him a handful of times in her life. He rarely made public appearances.

"Iru Maran," said the blue man as he swaggered forward. "You've got quite the price on yer head."

Iru shrugged. "And who's going to claim the bounty? You? Oh, please." He rolled his eyes.

The head Ravager opened his hand and an arrow-like object flew into the air. He pursed his lips as if to whistle, but just as he did so, Iru held up a black remote and pressed a button. The glowing arrow and all the Ravager's guns flew up to the ceiling and stuck there.

"Oh, Yondu," laughed Iru snidely. "You've bit off more than you can chew this time." He pointed up at the ceiling above the Ravagers. "It's magnetized. You're getting rusty."

Yondu cursed under his breath, but strode forward undaunted. "You think I need my arrow to take you out?"

At that moment, a group of guards entered the club behind Iru. They all pointed their guns at Yondu and the Ravagers. "Oh, how the tables have turned," he said with a wicked smile.

Kira knew about the magnetized ceiling. It had been installed about a year ago. She also knew that all of the club's guards carried energy blasters made primarily of a special kind of alloy, so they wouldn't be affected by the magnets.

Then something clicked in her mind. This man, Yondu, wanted to kill her boss, her owner. She hated him above all else, hated this whole wretched club. Nothing would please her more than to see it in ruins. She looked at the guard in front of her, and her mind was made up.

With a movement as fast as a striking snake, she shot forward, pulling the gun right out of the guard's hands. She kept running, making it all the way across the club before her shock collar activated. Her eyes locked with Yondu's as she screamed in pain. As she was falling to the ground, she managed to toss the gun in his direction. He caught it in midair and fired a shot a split second later, right into Iru's forehead. Then all hell broke loose.

Kira wasn't sure what happened after that, because the pain from the shock collar caused her to black out.

When she next opened her eyes, she was still lying on the floor of the club, but it was eerily quiet. The air smelled of smoke, and burning flesh. She groaned and sat up, rubbing her neck, and gasped in surprise. Her collar was gone.

Kira looked around incredulously, wondering who had taken it off. Her eyes immediately fell on the head Ravager. He was sitting in a chair, watching her.

"Guess ya finally came around," he chuckled, his voice rough. "We thought ya were dead there for a while."

Kira rubbed her head and stood up, watching him closely. The club around her was decimated, tables shot through by guns and blasters, strobe lights busted. Part of the roof was even torn off and snow was falling through the large hole. She shivered, remembering she barely had enough clothes on to cover her unmentionables.

Yondu looked her up and down, then tossed a long Ravager coat to her that he'd been holding. She caught it and quickly put it on, pulling it close around her against the cold.

"I owe ya one, cat-girl," he said with a grin. "You got a name?"

"Kira," she said, offering him a genuine smile. She then noticed that Yondu wasn't wearing the coat he'd come in with. It was apparently his own Ravager's coat that he'd tossed to her.

"You should get outa here while ya still can, girl," he said abruptly. "Authorities'll be coming in soon to clean up the mess."

"You killed him then? Iru?" she asked hopefully.

"Yeah," he said, jerking his thumb over his shoulder in the direction of his ship. Kira could see it through the open door. "He's all bagged up and ready to go."

Kira sighed with relief. "And my collar…. Thank you."

Yondu shrugged. "Least I could do." And with that, he stood up and headed for the door.

Kira started to go after him, then thought better of it. What could she say?

So instead, she stood there and watched him walk out into the snow. A moment later, he started checking a small instrument panel on the side of his Ravager's ship. It was bigger than the few others she'd seen.

She bit her bottom lip, deep in thought. Ravager's, huh? Basically space pirates. But their life seemed a hell of a lot better than her's. She shifted back and forth, her feet freezing.

"I bet it's nice and warm in that ship," she mumbled to herself. "And I bet he's going somewhere better than this frostbitten place."

She took a bold step forward and called out, "Yondu!"

His head snapped up and he turned in her direction. A look of surprise crossed his face as he watched her run across the snow to his ship.

"I wanna come with you," she said when she reached him, narrowing her eyes and trying to look determined. "At least to wherever you're going next."

"Wha-?" he began incredulously, then stopped. "We're Ravagers, girl. The places where me and my crew go, it's no place for… a dancer. Hell, my crew would eat ya alive."

Kira crossed her arms, knowing exactly what he meant. "I can handle it," she fired back resolutely.

He eyed her skeptically for what what felt like forever, then finally said, "All right, but you're off my ship as soon as we hit the next planet."


	2. Chapter 2

"Don't be touchin' anything," Yondu said grumpily as he sat down at the ship's controls.

Kira tentatively took the seat beside him and nodded. She watched him out of the corner of her eye as he flipped a few switches and made ready for take off. She couldn't help but notice an odd assortment of figurines lined up on his console. She grinned, thinking that he didn't seem like the sort of man to collect trinkets like that.

"What'cha smilin' about?" Yondu asked as he glanced her way, then back to the controls.

"Nothing," Kira said quickly, feeling embarrassed.

Yondu only grunted in response.

After a few more seconds of silence, Kira asked, "What was that weapon you were using? Some sort of arrow?"

"It's a Yaka Arrow," he said. "I control it with this here." He touched the red ridge on the top of his head.

"Wow," Kira said incredulously. "It reminds me of Cupid's arrow."

"Ain't never heard of nothin' called a Cupid," Yondu said distractedly as he punched in coordinates on the control board.

"It's a Terran thing," Kira explained. "I met a Terran once who told me about it. A Cupid is a strange flying man that shoots an arrow into people's hearts and makes them fall in love."

Yondu's eyebrows raised. "You say some weird shit, girl."

Kira's catlike ears drooped and she looked down at her feet, wishing she hadn't made the comparison.

The ship lifted into the air a moment later and they were off. Kira draped her tail across her lap and began to smooth out the fur with her fingers.

"Where are we headed now?" she asked quietly.

"I'm turnin' this dead bastard in for his bounty," Yondu replied. "You'd best stay on the ship while I'm doin' that. It ain't a place you'd want to go sightseein' in."

Kira nodded.

"We'll go to my main ship after that," Yondu continued. "When we're around my crew, you better be callin' me 'Captain', ya here? Can't have the boys thinkin' I've gone soft. I'm only helpin' you out because you helped me out. It ain't nothing more than that."

Kira's ears twitched at his sudden change of mood. "I understand."

They traveled in silence for a while, then made a jump to a small, heavily populated moon. As they landed, Kira looked out with wide eyes at the crowded city. It was night, but the yellowish lights of the buildings made up for the darkness. A light drizzle of rain pelted the glass window of the ship. Kira wished she could get out and explore, but she knew better than to cross Yondu. If she messed things up with him, for all she knew, he'd take her back to the Cat's Paw club.

Yondu threw the bag containing Iru's dead body over his shoulder and opened hatch. He took one step out into the rain and paused, looking over his shoulder at Kira.

"On second thought," he said, "You better come with me, girl. I can't have ya stealing my ship while my back's turned."

Kira's ears folded down flat in indignation. "I would never -" she began in a heated tone, but stopped herself mid-sentence when she saw the spark of anger in Yondu's eyes. Keep him happy, she reminded herself. He's my ticket to freedom.

"Fine," she said in a less hostile voice.

"Come on then," Yondu said as he stepped down from his ship.

Kira hopped down after him as the wind whipped her long Ravager coat open. She pulled it together quickly, hiding her revealing outfit.

"We're goin' to be around some rough characters," Yondu told her matter-of-factly. "So stick close to me, and follow my lead."

"Aye-aye, Captain," Kira quipped and gave Yondu a mock salute.

He scowled at her darkly. "I've shot people for less than that, girl."

Kira's tail twitched nervously. "I was just messing around."

Yondu shook his head wearily and turned to leave. Kira walked after him, sticking close to his side.

They walked down a labyrinth of dark alleyways, taking so many different turns that Kira lost all sense of direction. There were shady characters standing at the entrance to a lot of the doors. Sometimes she could hear faint music coming from inside the buildings. Other times, she heard loud, drunken shouting, even some screams. Yondu had been right - this was not a place to go sightseeing in.

At last they came to a tall, dilapidated building with a green-skinned man keeping watch outside the door. Yondu walked up to him and said something so low that Kira couldn't hear him. The man instantly stepped aside and motioned them in.

Kira followed Yondu down a long hallway until they came to the last door on the right. Yondu opened it and went through. They were met by a tall humanoid with three horns on his head. She'd never seen a person of his kind before.

"I see you've made good on the bounty," the man said, gesturing to the body that Yondu was carrying. His voice was unusually deep.

"Yep," Yondu said and dropped the bag containing the club owner at his feet. "Check him if ya like."

"No need," the horned man said. Then his attention turned to Kira. He's yellow eyes went wide with lust.

"What have we here?" he asked, stepping closer. "A genuine cat-girl - a genetic wonder. I bet you paid out the ass for her, Yondu." He threw his head back and let out a boom of laughter.

Kira felt a chill go down her spine. She didn't like where this was going.

"I don't need to buy 'em, Rola," Yondu said with a smirk. "They come to me." He put his arm around Kira's waist and pulled her against his side, startling her. She let out a slight gasp.

"You sure?" Rola asked with another loud laugh. "She looks like she's afraid of you to me."

Rola looked Kira in the eye with a devious smile. "Come over here, pussy-cat," he said suggestively. "I know how to treat a woman right, if you catch my drift."

Kira's mind was racing. She had to do something fast or things would get out of hand. The guy, Rola, looked as if he was ready to pounce and take her by force if something didn't change.

Kira did the only thing she could think of. She decided to play her part.

"No, thanks, baby," she said in a sultry voice. "I have eyes for one man only!" She turned to face Yondu and grabbed the collar of his shirt, then roughly pulled him against her body and kissed him hard on the mouth.

At first, he didn't react. She knew she had stunned him. But then his arms wrapped around her waist and he pulled her closer as he returned the kiss with an even deeper one. Her ears fell back in sheer bliss and she felt a moan escape her lips.

"All right, all right," Rola said, laughing. "I get it. She's not for sale."

Yondu broke away, but kept his arm around Kira. "You bet yer ass she's not," he said with a chuckle.

"You old dog," Rola said with a grin.

After that, Rola paid Yondu, but Kira was barely paying attention. Her face was flushed and her heart was beating rapidly. It was just an act, she told herself over and over again in her mind. It wasn't real. We were both just putting on a show to avoid any trouble.

Yondu kept his arm around Kira's waist as they left the building. As soon as it was out of sight, he released her. She couldn't deny that she felt a pang of regret. She wanted more.

"That was a good act ya put on back there, girl," Yondu said with a chuckle. "Good timing too. I thought he was about to try and take ya then and there."

"Yeah," Kira said, looking the other way. "He was a creep."

"Mmhmm," Yondu replied as they kept walking.

"You, uh," Kira began sheepishly. "You were pretty convincing back there, too." She bit her lip self-consciously.

"Yeah," Yondu replied, suddenly more gruff than usual. "Guess I was."

They walked the rest of the way back to the ship in silence. Kira climbed in and sat back down in the same seat. She avoided looking directly at Yondu, and if she wasn't mistaken, he was doing the same thing to her.

Yondu's back was turned as he worked on the ship's controls, and Kira watched him. She knew she shouldn't want him. He was a Ravager, and he'd made it clear she was just baggage to him. But she did want him, and the feeling surprised her. Then again, why shouldn't she want him? She was a woman, she had needs. But deep in her heart she knew it wasn't just desire. There was more to this feeling.


	3. Chapter 3

(*****Thank you guys so much for the reviews! 3 I'm so happy you're liking it. I'll do my best to update the story in a timely manner*****)

The rest of the flight to Yondu's main ship was passed in an awkward silence. Kira kept her eyes glued to the stars flying by outside, trying not to think about Yondu or his surprisingly enjoyable kiss.

Soon enough, the Ravagers' base came into view.

"This is the Eclector," Yondu told her as they approached the massive ship. "It's a port for all our 'M-ships' - the thing we're ridin' in right now."

"It's huge," Kira said admiringly.

"It's where we make camp," Yondu went on, "so to speak."

Kira felt a lump of nervousness rising in her chest. She was about to meet the rest of the Ravagers. She hoped if she kept her head down, they wouldn't pay her any attention.

Yondu flew the ship into a bay in the side of the Eclector and landed smoothly. He hopped out of the ship and was greeted by a few of his crew members. Kira watched as he laughed and joked with them. Then he motioned for her to get off the ship.

She reluctantly walked over to his side. "Hey, guys," she said awkwardly.

The Ravagers stared at Kira with hungry eyes, but she paid them no attention.

"This is Kraglin," Yondu told her as he nodded to a tall, slim Terran with brown hair. "Go with him and he'll get ya some clothes and show ya to yer quarters."

Kira gave him a quick smile and followed Kraglin into the ship. The air was almost hazy and the lights were dim. There was metal and machinery everywhere. It made Kira miss her tidy little room at the Cat's Paw.

Kraglin turned to her as they walked. "So…" he began a bit uncomfortably. "You must be the one that tossed the Cap'n that gun in the club."

"That was me," Kira replied, glancing up at him.

"We were in a real tight spot back there," he continued in a confidential tone. "I know the Cap'n wouldn't admit it, but I imagine he's pretty grateful to you."

"Maybe so," Kira said. "He did agree to give me a ride to the next planet."

"That's probably his way 'o paying you back for what you did," Kraglin said knowingly.

They went down a few of the ship's corridors, then came to a metal sliding door. It grated reluctantly as Kraglin pulled it open. Inside there was a simple bunk hanging against the wall with a dingy pillow and blanket. There was a rustic nightstand beside the bunk.

"You'll find some clothes in there," Kraglin said, motioning to the nightstand. "The Cap'n said for you to stay in your room until he comes to get you, I guess when we reach whatever planet he's dropping you off on."

"How long will that take?" Kira asked incredulously. How could she be expected to just sit in this bland, tiny excuse for a room, doing nothing?

"A day or two, I guess," Kraglin replied, scratching the back of his neck.

"What if I have to pee?" she asked, her tail lashing back and forth in agitation.

Kraglin made an almost embarrassed face. "There's a….uh...toilet down the hall from your room on the right. I guess the Cap'n don't mind you going in there."

"Okay," Kira said exasperatedly. "Thanks for your help, Kraglin."

"No problem," he said with a flash of a smile. Then he ducked out of the room and shut the door gingerly.

Kira sat down on the bed with a heavy sigh. She shrugged out of the Ravager coat she'd been wearing and looked up at the ceiling. There was no way she was going to stay in here for a couple of days.

She got up a few minutes later and began to rummage through the nightstand. She found a black t-shirt with some cartoonish writing in a language she'd never heard of. It was a bit loose, but it smelled mostly clean, so she tossed it onto the bed. She also found a pair of ruddy brown pants with straps going all the way down the legs. They looked like they would fit, so she set them aside as well.

Kira slipped out of her revealing club attire and put on the clothes she'd pulled from the nightstand. They were surprisingly comfy. After that, she put Yondu's coat back on. The room was a bit chilly.

She wished she had some new shoes. Her strappy black heels were beginning to rub blisters on her feet, so she took them off and threw them across the room. She never liked them anyway.

There was a broken mirror on the wall opposite the bed. Kira looked into it in disgust.

"Ugh," she said, turning up her nose at her reflection. "I look like shit." Her heavy black eyeliner was smudged and running down her cheeks. Her chin-length, straight white hair was mussed and tangled. Her ears drooped in defeat. She looked like a trainwreck.

Kira set about tidying herself up. She smoothed out her hair, including her ears and long tail. Then she wiped most of the makeup off her face with the edge of the t-shirt. After a few minutes, she decided she'd made at least a minor improvement and went to lie down on the bed. She curled her tail around her waist and put her hands behind her head, staring at the low metal ceiling.

A droplet of water leaked out from a pipe above Kira's bunk and splattered on her forehead. She woke with a start and wiped her face.

"Ugh," she groaned. "How long was I out?" There were no clocks or timepieces of any kind to be found in her small room, so she had no way of knowing how much time had passed since she'd unintentionally fallen asleep.

Kira's stomach growled loudly, reminding her that it had been quite a while since she'd last eaten. She got out of bed and stretched, pondering her next move.

Yondu had specifically given orders for her to stay in this room, but how was anyone supposed to do something like that? Her inborn curiosity got the better of her, and she eased the door open, poking her head out into the corridor. The coast was clear.

Kira slipped out of her room silently, on bare feet. She made a quick stop in the bathroom - which looked as if it hadn't been cleaned in months - then continued on with her exploration.

She moved quickly, but cautiously, always stopping to listen before rounding any corners. Her cat genes gave her exceptional hearing and agility, so remaining out of sight had never been a problem for her. Her ears twitched with excitement as she roamed farther and farther away from her designated cell.

Kira walked up a set of rusty stairs and came to a dead end. She cocked her head in confusion. The only thing here was a set of filing cabinets against a metal wall. She turned on her heel to leave, and found herself face to face with Yondu.

Kira let out a shocked gasp and backed away, as Yondu frowned down at her menacingly.

"I...uh...got lost…" she said guiltily, biting her lower lip.

"Sure ya did," Yondu spat sarcastically. "Guess ya didn't realize I have cameras all over this ship, did ya? I been watchin' you for a while, girl."

Kira sighed and her ears drooped. She'd been caught.


	4. Chapter 4

(*Thank you guys again! So happy you're still reading! Don't worry, there will be definitely be some interaction with Rocket and Groot :) I'm sorry the chapters are on the short side, but I'm not always able to write as much at a time as I'd like :'( * )

Several of the Ravagers walked up behind Yondu, looking at Kira in amusement and interest. She ignored them, looking down at her feet.

Yondu noticed that she was barefooted, but didn't comment on it. He knew he had to show his crew how he handled disobediance. With a quick whistle, his arrow lept from the pouch at his side and into the air. It hovered over his shoulder. Another whistle sent it flying forward, coming to a stop mere centimeters from Kira's neck.

Without thinking, Kira bared her teeth, revealing inscisors that were longer and more pointed than that of most species - another trait inherited from her feline DNA. Her eyes were wide, and fixated on the glowing, red arrow.

"You disobyed a direct order, girl," Yondu said severly, his red eyes seeming to peirce straight through her. "And we all know what happens to rule breakers here on my ship."

The handful of Ravagers behind Yondu chuckled, watching to see what their Captain would do next.

Kira's ears were flat against her skull and her tail twitched back and forth nervously. She said in a controlled tone, "I meant no disrespect, Captain."

Yondu's eyes narrowed as he watched her.

"It's in my nature," she explained, "to be curious."

"Ain't ya ever heard the old sayin' 'Curiosity killed the cat'?" Yondu asked her harshly.

"Yes," Kira said, breaking eye contact with Yondu and looking down.

"I was goin' to put ya off on a nice planet," Yondu said, crossing his arms. "A civilized one. But now, you've earned yerself a one-way trip back to the Cat's Paw."

Kira's eyes went wide with horror. "No," she cried. "Yondu, please!"

Yondu whistled, sending the arrow so close to Kira's neck that she could feel its heat. "That's 'Captain' to you," he said coldly.

The Ravagers behind him began to grin. This was getting good.

"Captain," Kira corrected herself quitely, "you may as well kill me then."

This took Yondu by surprise, and an odd look crossed his face, but it was replaced almost instantly by his usual frown. He looked at her for a long moment.

"If I kill ya here, it'll just be a mess to clean up," he said gruffly. "You'll be comin' with me to my quarters, where I can at least have some fun first." He grinned widely.

The ravagers all nudged each other knowingly, making obscene gestures at Kira.

Her face grew hot and she looked away. Yondu whistled and his arrow circled around behind her, as if nudging her forward.

"Come on," Yondu said as he passed Kira. He then looked over his shoulder at his crew. "I don't want to be disturbed for the rest of the night, ya here?"

The Ravagers replied with a corous of "Aye, Captain".

Kira followed Yondu all the way to his room in silence. As soon as the door closed behind him, Yondu whistled and his arrow went back to its pouch. He crossed his arms and looked Kira in the eye.

She cautiously glanced up at him, one ear twitching. She knew she was blushing like a fool.

"I know 'bout you," Yondu said, his expression softening just a fraction.

"What are you talking about?" Kira asked, fearing the worst.

"I looked ya up in the database," Yondu said, leaning sideways against the doorframe. "I know _all_ 'bout you, girl."

Kira sighed heavily. "You know why I'd rather die than go back to the Cat's Paw, then."

Yondu shrugged. "I know yer one of the special "Virgin cat-girls", sold at a price so high it'll make yer head spin. I saw that ya'd been sold to a rich old bastard on Contraxia. Or rather, your virginity was sold. He's due to pick ya up, oh, in 'bout a month."

Kira's ears drooped. Yondu knew her secret. She was a dancer, yes. She got naked on stage, yes. She'd been trained in all forms of pleasure, but by observation only. She was a virgin, reserved for a man on Contraxia named Vester who wanted to rape her, then kill her slowly. It was what turned him on.

"Yeah," Kira said with a shrug of her shoulders. "That's about right."

"Well, guess we can't let that happen," Yondu said with a sudden grin so bright that Kira could only gape at him.

"Ya thought I was 'bout to screw ya, huh?" Yondu asked with a hearty laugh.

Kira blushed furiously. "I..."

"Not that I don't want to," he said, giving her a sidelong glance, "But I ain't goin' to. You been a slave, and I understand better'n anyone the hell that puts ya through."

Kira looked up at him with newfound respect. "What are you saying?"

"I'm sayin' I'm letting ya go," Yondu said as he watched her. "That was all a big show for my crew back there. Can't let 'em think I'm goin' soft. I'll tell em' tomorrow that ya did so good in bed I decided to let ya live."

Kira gave him a crooked smile. "Thank you."

Yondu nodded. "As soon as the crew's all passed out for the night, we'll head out in my ship. Until then, eat somethin'. I can hear yer stomach growling from across the room." Yondu motioned to a small mound of plastic-wrapped sweets on a dresser.

Kira laughed softly. "Finally."

She unwrapped them and ate almost frantically. She tasted chocolate, and some other flavors, maybe even coconut. It was surprisingly good, but she was too hungry to savor anything. She grabbed a bottle of some sort of green alcohol sitting beside the sweets and took a long swig.

Yondu kicked off his boots and and tossed his new Ravager coat across a chair. He laid down on his bed, settling into the fur covers. Kira took another drink and let out a satisfied sigh.

Yondu pushed a button on the wall to turn out the lights. The only illumination left was a few faintly glowing control panels on the wall across the room.

Kira's excellent night vision, however, allowed to her to see every detail of her surroundings. She watched Yondu lying in his bed, his eyes closed. She felt a deep longing in her heart as she gazed upon him. Perhaps it was the alcohol that made her more bold than usual, she wasn't sure, but she walked across the room to the other side of Yondu's bed and stretched out beside him.

He grunted, acknowledging her presense, but didn't look at her. "Get some sleep," he mumbled, clearly tired himself.

Kira looked at Yondu again in the dark and felt a surge of emotion. Before she could talk herself out of it, she snuggled up against his side. "I'm cold," she lied.

Yondu said nothing, but wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close against him. Kira turned toward him and rested her head on his shoulder, placing her hand on his chest. She shut her eyes and smiled, feeling trulysafe for the first time in her life.


	5. Chapter 5

"Rise an' shine," Yondu said as he flicked the lights on in his room.

Kira sat up quickly, blinking in the sudden brightness, forgetting momentarily where she was. She felt the softness of the fur blanket under her fingers and everything that had happened came back to her in a rush. How had she not felt Yondu get out of bed? Had she really been sleeping so soundly? It was unlike her.

"You were snorin' something awful," Yondu said with a chuckle. "More like a bear than a cat."

Kira smirked at him. "I don't snore."

"Yeah, that's what they all say," Yondu said over his shoulder as he rolled his eyes. "Come on. It's time to get goin'."

Kira felt an ache in her heart, but pushed it down. This was no time to be sentimental. Yondu was taking her to freedom, and she knew she shouldn't look back.

She followed him out of his quarters and down a flight of stairs, all the way to his waiting M-ship. Kira looked around her in regret. She felt an odd sensation that she could have grown to like living on the Eclector, even in its shabby condition.

They climbed aboard the ship and took their seats. Yondu made some adjustments to the controls, then turned to Kira.

"I'm taking ya to Xandar," Yondu said, has voice suddenly more gruff than usual. "I'll give ya some money to get ya goin'. After that, yer on yer own."

"Thank you," Kira said softly. "For everything."

"Don't mention it," Yondu said dismissively.

It seemed to Kira that a wall he'd let down while they were together in his quarters was firmly back in place now. She sighed heavily and looked down at the assortment of figurines on the console. She was sure that each one of them had its own story, and at that moment, she would have given anything for Yondu to tell her about every one of them.

They made a few jumps and reached Xandar far too quickly for Kira. She watched Yondu as he landed his ship, trying to push away the feelings that were rising painfully within her.

The city was massive around them, bustling with commotion and life - A new and inviting world. The door of the M-ship slid open with a whoosh, and they both got out. Yondu pushed a shiny metal card at Kira once they were both standing on the landing pad near his ship.

"Here," he said without emotion, his face a stern mask. "This'll last ya for a while."

Kira took the card gingerly and thanked him once again. He turned with a swirl of his coat to leave.

This was all happening too fast, Kira thought to herself as she watched the Centaurian Captain walking away. She couldn't let him go, not yet.

"Yondu," she called after him plaintively.

He stopped but didn't turn around.

"I want to join you," Kira said, her voice full of emotion. She was done pretending. "I want to be a Ravager."

Yondu turned and walked back to her. He looked down into her eyes, a look akin to pain on his face.

"Kira," he said softly, speaking her name for the first time. "No."

She gaped up at him in disbelief. This wasn't at all how it was supposed to go.

"No?" she asked incredulously.

"No," he affirmed. "Look, girl," he continued. "You ain't cut out for the kind of life we live. And you… ya deserve better'n this."

Kira's ears stood up straight in indignation. "But this is what I want!"

"Maybe so," Yondu said, nodding, "but it ain't what ya need."

"Who are you to say what I need?" Kira retorted angrily.

Yondu shook his head stubbornly. "The answer's not goin' to change, girl, no matter how much ya argue."

Kira gritted her teeth, revealing sharp incisors. "Yondu!"

She was being ridiculous, and she knew it. She should accept his answer, and be on her way, but she'd lost control of her emotions now. It had always been a problem for her. As much as she tried to keep herself under control, there was always a wild streak that reared its head when things got heated.

"Don't make this hard," Yondu rasped, lowering his voice.

Kira felt tears welling up in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall.

Yondu watched her, saw the unshed tears, and in a single, swift motion, he pulled her against him and kissed her long and hard.

Kira barely had time to return his kiss before he was gone. He turned stiffly and headed for his ship. This time Kira remained silently in place. She licked her lips, tasting his kiss.

Kira watched Yondu climb into his ship and take off. When she lost sight of him in the clouds, she let her pent up tears fall. They streamed down her cheeks as she gazed into the sky. Time stood still in that moment as she felt her heart breaking in two.


	6. Chapter 6

(Thank you guys again for the feedback~ excellent advice! So I'm changing up the timeline from the actual films. In reality, hardly no time passed between the events of Guardians of the Galaxy 1 and 2, but in my story, I'm changing that time to approximately two years. Mostly everything else will remain the same.)

~Two Years Later~

Kira crouched in the shadows of a stone monolith as she watched her target making his way down a cobbled path. He was an enemy of the State on this planet and had a high bounty on his head, which Kira was looking to collect.

The man in question was a short, orange fellow with three dark eyes. He walked down the deserted path, humming quietly to himself. This was a secluded area that he often visited to meditate. Kira had been stalking him for days, waiting for the perfect moment to pounce. She knew this was it.

She leapt out from behind the pillar, holding a high-powered plasma pistol in each hand, both of them pointed at her target. He barely had a moment to look up in horror before two glowing beams of plasma hit him in his third eye. He fell to the ground with a heavy thud.

Kira lowered her guns, grinning at his lifeless body. Her long, black leather coat billowed out as a gust of wind blew her way. She sniffed the air, scenting the coming rain. With a fluid motion, she holstered her pistols. There would be time to savor the victory later.

She took a small, wand-like device from a coat pocket and pointed it at the dead body. A jolt of electricity hit him and he slowly rose from the ground, enveloped in a glowing green aura. She'd picked up this newest gadget on the last planet she'd visited, and it was already coming in handy.

The body floated along behind Kira as she made her way through a grassy field. A short distance later, she reached her ship. It was a small, sleek cruiser with three powerful engines. She liked them fast and maneuverable, and her craft, the "Vixen", was just that.

She loaded the body into a crate and strapped it down, then climbed into the cockpit. She grabbed the controls and took to the air just as the rain began to fall.

Kira flipped a switch and a side panel opened, revealing a pink bottle of liquor. She pulled it out and took a long swig.

"Ah," she breathed contentedly. "Here's to us!" she called jovially back over her shoulder at the dead body.

With this bounty, she wouldn't have to take another job for at least a month. She was looking forward to a long holiday, lounging away the days on a pristine seaside resort.

Kira punched in the coordinates and put her ship on auto-pilot, then leaned back in the seat and shut her eyes - and saw his face.

"Stop it!" she said aloud, putting her hands over her white, feline ears. "You're gone."

But the ruggedly handsome Centaurian face remained in her mind. She could still hear his voice, still feel the brush of his lips against hers. Even after two whole years. Two years in which she'd tried to forget her feelings, diving into promiscuity with all manner of lifeforms. She'd explored her own sexuality and desires, but her heart remained unchanged. It belonged to him alone, to Yondu Udonta.

She let her hands fall onto her lap as she stared out blankly into the brilliant abyss of stars. A single tear trickled down her cheek and fell onto her thigh. It seemed that thoughts of her Ravager Captain still evoked powerful feelings, and longing.

When Kira reached her destination, she landed at her contractor's private tower, high above a small town. She turned in the crate containing her dead bounty, and was paid. She took the money eagerly, looking forward to her vacation.

As she walked through the glass doors and out onto the balcony where the Vixen waited, she heard a loud boom as a ship broke through the atmosphere above her. She watched with one ear cocked to the side as it streaked through the sky, lower and lower. It was an M-ship, similar to Yondu's. Her eyes went wide. Perhaps it was a Ravager.

The ship crashed down through the trees several miles away, vanishing from view. As usual, curiosity got the better of her, and Kira climbed quickly into her own ship, determined to check out the crash site. She started the Vixen up and took off, heading in the direction of the downed ship.

A couple of minutes later, she landed in a clearing about half a mile away from where the M-ship had crashed. She had no intention of making her presence known until she saw what was going on.

Kira climbed down from the cockpit and made her way into the dense forest, moving as stealthily as a panther stalking its prey. After a few minutes, her ears perked up as she heard a strange whooshing sound above her. She crouched low, looking up into the canopy above. An odd, egg-shaped ship passed quickly overhead, going in the same direction as the crash.

"Weird," she muttered to herself. She'd never seen anything quite like it.

She stalked forward as soon as it was out of sight, listening intently for any other sounds or movement.

It wasn't long before she reached the downed ship. She kept close to the ground, hidden by a row of greenery. She could see several people standing beside the wrecked M-ship, talking to a man who had emerged from the egg-like craft. There was a terran, a green-skinned woman, a tall and muscular man, and a small furry animal wearing clothes.

She squinted her eyes, peering at the terran man standing in front of the group. There was no mistaking it now - this was Starlord. She looked again at the rest of the people behind him. They had to be the Guardians of the Galaxy.

She'd heard of them, and knew all about their connection with Yondu. Kira hadn't been idle these past two years. Not long after Yondu left her standing alone on Xandar, she'd hacked into databases and looked up all the information she could on the Centaurian. She learned of his past, of his "friendship" with Peter Quill and the Guardians. This was them all right. But what were they doing here?

As she pondered this, Peter and most of the Guardians went on board the egg-ship. They left behind the furry creature, Rocket, presumably, and Groot, who was much smaller than his pictures on the databases. They left a blue woman as well, but she was bound at the wrists, a prisoner most likely. Kira watched them with intense interest.

The white egg-ship took off into the sky and was gone within a few seconds. Kira remained hidden, watching Rocket argue with the other two. She didn't want to alarm them by breaking her cover, but decided instead to watch and see what would happen. She stretched herself out on the grass and propped her chin up on her hands. Her tail twitched back and forth as she observed them.

The shades of evening deepened as Rocket worked on the ship. Night was fast approaching.


	7. Chapter 7

Dusk fell over the thick forest and a wispy mist curled around the edges of the clearing where the damaged M-ship sat. The moonlight was almost unnaturally bright, illuminating the trees with a bluish glow. Random clinks and clanks occasionally rang out through the night as Rocket worked. Several times, he left the ship, bringing bags of equipment with him. Kira could only wonder at what he was doing, for she knew if she moved around too much, he would surely hear her.

As the night wore on, the damp ground became uncomfortable underneath Kira and she shifted restlessly in place. Some sort of night bird screeched not far overhead, and she jumped, cursing under her breath. She looked back to the M-ship, but there was no sign of movement. She let out a sigh of relief.

An hour or so later, Kira massaged her forehead wearily, rethinking her decision to visit the crash site.

"What am I even doing here?" she asked herself barely above a whisper. She knew there was nothing to gain from spying on them. Her curiosity ebbed and she slowly got to her feet. She had more important things to do than spending the night lying on the wet grass.

It was then that the sound of distant voices caught her ear. The hair on the back of her neck stood up, and her tail bristled. A glance back at the M-ship confirmed that Rocket was no longer there. She didn't see Groot or the blue woman either.

She started to walk quickly, but silently in the direction of the voices, pausing every couple of yards to listen. Whoever it was, there was a lot of them.

A minute later, she reached the crest of a wooded hill, and peered down into the trees. That was when she saw them, at least 30 armed men making their way to the crashed ship. A look to her right revealed that there was yet another group of men coming from that direction as well. They were in a fanned out formation, combing through the forest, clearly looking for something.

If Kira didn't move fast, she knew they'd run right into her. She looked around, and seeing no good place to take cover, she jumped up and caught a branch overhead, swinging herself up into the tree. She climbed higher and higher until she was completely obscured by the thick leaves. She straddled a big limb and leaned over it, looking directly down at the forest floor.

One group of men passed under her, and she blinked in surprise. She recognised a few of them, and their attire was unmistakable. These were Yondu's men.

"So the plot thickens," she mused under her breath as she watched them.

A sudden flash of movement in a nearby tree caught her attention and she turned to see what it was. Something small and furry jumped from that tree to another, then leaned against its trunk. As soon as it stopped moving, she was able to see that it was Rocket.

Kira watched as he pulled a remote from his pocket and pushed a button on it. Immediately, the group of men that had just passed beneath her tree were sent flying into the air. They crashed back down with a series of thuds and groans. She heard Rocket chuckling to himself. He repeated this several times until all the Ravagers were down for the count.

After that, he leapt down and ran in the direction of the M-ship. Kira waited for a moment, listening, then climbed down from her own tree and went after Rocket. She moved very carefully, picking her way through the underbrush. She had a feeling that the gravity vortex wasn't the only trap Rocket had set up that night.

Despite her heightened senses, Kira lost track of Rocket after only a minute or two.

"Sneaky bugger," Kira growled as she stopped yet again to listen. She heard cries from other Ravagers in the distance as they fell victim to Rocket's traps.

She made her way back toward the M-ship, in the direction of the shouts and yelps of pain. Then she heard the whistle, and she knew _he_ was there. She picked up her pace, heedless of any noise she might be making as she moved through the underbrush.

She came to the edge of the trees, and there he was. Both Yondu and Rocket were encircled by a ring of Ravagers. Yondu's glowing arrow was hovering in the air inches from Rocket's head.

Kira knelt down behind a thick bush, keeping out of sight as she watched the scene unfolding before her.

Yondu chuckled as he took a step closer to Rocket. "Hey there, rat," he said with a crooked grin.

"How's it going, you blue idiot?" Rocket asked, raising his hands as the arrow remained suspended in the air in front of him.

"Not so bad," Yondu said, picking his teeth. "We got ourselves a pretty good little gig here. This golden gal with quite a high opinion of herself has offered us a large sum to deliver you and yer pals over to her, because she wants to kill y'all."

The Ravagers began to chuckle as Yondu paced slowly back and forth in the clearing.

"I'll tell you, it was pretty easy to find ya," Yondu continued with a hint of humor in his voice. "I put a tracer on yer ship back there during the war with Xandar."

"Give me your word you won't hurt Groot," Rocket said in defeat. "And I'll tell you where the batteries are."

"Heh," Yondu said with a grin. "Lucky for you my word don't mean squat. Otherwise I'd actually hand you over."

Rocket looked up in surprise.

A big Ravager with a messed up face blurted out angrily, "Otherwise you'd what?!"

Yondu continued talking, ignoring him. "We'll take them batteries. They're worth what, a quarter-mil on the market?"

"That priestess offered us a million," growled the Ravager. "A quarter is only one third of that."

Kira raised an eyebrow at this. Was the man really that dumb?

"A quarter ain't a third," Yondu said exasperatedly.

The Ravagers began to argue amongst themselves about how much money was in question.

"Enough!" Yondu spat angrily. "The point is we ain't stupid enough to help kill the Guardians of the Galaxy. The whole dang Nova Corps'd be on us."

"That ain't right!" Kraglin interjected, stepping forward. Kira recognised him at once.

"I just gotta say it this one time Cap'n," Kraglin continued, looking around at his fellow Ravagers for support. "No matter how many times Quill betrays you, you protect him… like none of the rest of us much matter."

There was a rumble of general agreement from the surrounding Ravagers.

"Damn straight, lad," said the big Ravager. "He's gone soft. Suppose it's time for a change in leadership." He brought his gun up to his shoulder, pointing it at Yondu.

Kira's ears stood up straight as her breath caught in her throat. She whipped her own guns out of their holsters, ready to leap to Yondu's defense if she needed to.

The rest of the Ravagers quickly followed suit, half of them pointing their guns at Yondu, the other half defending him. Yondu whistled, calling his arrow back to hover in place over his shoulder, like a snake waiting to strike.

"Woah, woah, woah," Rocket said loudly, holding out his arms. "There must be some kind of peaceful resolution to this. Or even a violent one, where I'm standing over there."

Yondu pursed his lips to whistle, but before he could make a sound, the fin on his head was blown away in a shower of sparks.

"No!" Kira cried out, jumping up from her hiding spot. A few of the Ravagers turned in her direction, taken completely by surprise.

Yondu fell to the ground with a groan, revealing the blue woman standing a few paces behind him, her gun still raised. She was no longer in cuffs.

Yondu's eyes briefly met Kira's as he fell forward.

"Yondu," Kira breathed, her heart pounding.

The blue woman shot a stun bolt at Rocket, knocking him backwards. Kira raised her plasma pistols to fire at her, but before she could get off a shot, she was hit with another stun bolt, herself.

"Ugh," she moaned as the electricity ripped through her, paralyzing every muscle in her body. The last thing she remembered was the feeling of the wet grass against her cheek. Then her vision went black and she knew no more.


	8. Chapter 8

(I'm sorry this Chapter is a little short… and that it's been awhile since I last wrote. I got an extremely critical review of my story a few months back that kind of sucked the confidence right out of me. I thought about not writing any more, for good. But if you guys are still interested in reading, I'll at least try to finish this story. Thank you for your time! )

The first sensation Kira felt was a fierce throbbing in her head. She groaned and opened her eyes, but her vision swam before and she felt dizzy. She could hear shouting, laughter, and it didn't sound kind. She tried to rub her eyes, but her wrists met resistance.

"Wha…" she said groggily as she tugged against her restraints.

Things slowly began to become clear. She realized she was in a metal chair with her hands bound behind her back, and her feet strapped to the chair legs. The voices became clearer.

"This is mutiny!" "Kill them!" The discordant shouts forced back the lingering haze inside her mind.

Kira's head snapped up and she took in her surroundings. She was clearly back on the Eclector - she'd recognize this ship anywhere. There was a large group of Ravagers around her. She knew this had to be the ship's cargo bay.

A whoosh of the airlock caught her attention and she strained to see what was going on out of the corner of her eye. She heard the screams as a crew member was ejected into space, followed by the cheers of the rest of the Ravagers.

Kira turned back around and what she saw made her breath catch in her throat. There was Yondu, strapped to a chair just as she was. His eyes were downcast, and on his face was the look of a man defeated.

Kira's ears twitched with anger as she looked at him. His face was bruised, and a trickle of blood ran down his chin. What had they done to him?

All other sounds seemed suddenly far away as Kira looked at her Captain. Somewhere, as if from a great distance, she heard Rocket laughing about someone called "Taserface", but she couldn't concentrate on anything except for Yondu. The fire in his eyes had died, and it tore at her heart to see him this way.

And then someone stepped in front of her. Kira looked up, eyes blazing with fury. It was the blue woman. Nebula. The name came back to her suddenly from when she'd researched Gamora. This was her 'sister'.

"And what are you supposed to be?" Nebula asked coldly. Her voice had a slight metallic ring to it.

"None of your damned business," Kira spat furiously.

The Ravagers had gone silent, and Nebula looked down at Kira with her deep, soulless eyes. With a movement like lightning, she slapped her, leaving a stinging red welt on her cheek.

Kira didn't flinch, but looked immediately back up, eyes filled with hatred.

Nebula turned on her heel to face Yondu. "Do you know this creature?"

Yondu looked up slowly. "Never seen her in my life." His voice was emotionless, almost too emotionless.

"Hmm." Nebula pondered him a moment. "You're lying."

She then turned back to Kira. "If he doesn't know you, he won't mind if I do this." Nebula took a small dagger out of a pouch on her pants, and held it against Kira's other cheek.

Kira kept perfectly still, her eyes on Yondu. She saw the corner of his mouth turn downward in a slight snarl.

Nebula then raked the blade slowly across Kira's cheek, leaving a trail of dark red blood. Kira bared her teeth in pain, but didn't cry out.

Nebula moved the dagger to Kira's other cheek, ready to repeat the procedure.

"Enough!" Yondu growled. "Leave the girl outta this."

Nebula spun around. "Oh? So she is one of yours." She then turned to the man Rocket had called "Taserface".

"I'm sure there are bounties on this feline as well," Nebula told him, "if she's associated with Yondu Udonta."

Taserface grinned hungrilly as he looked at Kira.

"Turn them all in together," Nebula went on coolly. "I don't care." She turned to walk away, telling Taserface the percentage of the share she wanted as she left the bay.

Kira, Yondu, and Rocket were all roughly shoved into a barred cell. Groot was taken away to another part of the ship.


End file.
